


Graduation

by kayethespade



Series: The Adventures of Alicia Shepard [16]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, the relationships aren't the focus, they're just there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 17:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9000697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayethespade/pseuds/kayethespade
Summary: Everything is going well at Theresa's graduation from Grissom Academy...for the most part.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Post-Occupational Therapy...plus about fifteen years. The happy poly's children are more the focus of this one.

Theresa perked up when they heard their name in someone else’s conversation. 

“-couldn’t commit to a strategy if her life depended on it. Not that her mom could do any better.” Their fists clenched. “I know you can hear me, snowflake. What are you gonna do about it?” 

Theresa stood up and walked over to the verbal attacker’s desk. They slammed their hands down loud enough to make every person in the room jump. 

“I could tell you to stop talking before I turn you into eight quadrillion tiny flesh snowflakes, but that’s a little macabre for my tastes. I could tell you to just fuck off, you boshtet, but my mom doesn’t like me cursing, though that’s more than a little hypocritical, but it’s probably best not to piss her off. You know, highly decorated admiral who saved all organic life. 

So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to give you one chance to apologize and use my pronouns. You take it or you get flung through the window and into the vacuum of space with a bat of my eyelashes. Deal?” they suggested. 

The boy shook in his uniform. He looked down at his desk before muttering a little apology.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” 

“I’m sorry, SKV.” 

“That’s more like it,” Theresa giggled. 

“Remind me never to cross you,” Choran said from the doorway. 

Theresa ran to hug their older brother. It had been nine months since they’d last seen him. They were still racing for who would be taller, but it looked as though Theresa would stop short at five feet, ten inches tall. Choran still had about a foot of growth left in him. 

“You ready for graduation, Resa?” the turian asked. 

“Yeah. Where are mom and dads? Do they know I’m valedictorian?” they said, rocking back and forth on their heels. 

“No. Xayan didn’t tell them, and I kept my lips sealed.” 

“You know mom doesn’t like surprises…” Theresa looked through their brother. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Choran muttered. Theresa powered up a biotic pulse. 

“The hallway got quiet,” they grumbled. The rest of the students followed suit. 

“What’s so weird about that?” 

“These hallways are never quiet, Choran. Grab the rifle from behind the teacher’s desk. Now.” Choran followed their order, flicking his visor down over his eye. 

A shower of bullets whizzed through the door. Theresa let out a powerful scream to blow them back. They gave the orders and their classmates followed. Choran kept to Theresa’s right, and the smartass from earlier watched their left. The group fought its way through to the plaza. 

Theresa saw their mom first. How and why she brought her armor to this event was better left to wiser people than Theresa. Regardless, they walked up to Shepard with a small laugh. 

“It’s stragglers from Cerberus,” Theresa interrupted. The admiral nearly jumped out of her skin. 

“Okay thank god you and your brother are alive. Xayan and Garrus are holding up a sniper perch on the tower,” Shepard relayed seamlessly. Theresa followed behind her mom. 

“What do their numbers look like?” they asked. 

“About one hundred and twenty when they first arrived. Most of them went after the students, and you’ve gotten that area cleared pretty well. A lot of the younger students barricaded themselves in their dorms while they waited for the ceremony to start,” Thane explained. 

“Thank god. Is there any way to flush the rest of them out?” Choran suggested. 

“I could try to disrupt the gravity stabilizers for their ships from here,” Theresa said as they carried on to do so immediately. 

“That will keep them here, and if they keep coming, we should be able to eliminate all of them immediately,” Shepard answered. 

“Wait! What about the ones who surrender?” they interrupted. She didn’t look up from her omnitool. 

“If they’re willing to attack my children, I don’t think they’re smart enough to live.” 

Theresa glared at Shepard. “Mom, I know you’re protective, but if they lay down their arms, we have to let them go,” they argued. The two stared at each other for a few moments. 

“I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget that there are ones in that group who want to do the right thing,” Shepard sighed. 

“I don’t think anyone told you, but I made valedictorian,” they said timidly. 

“I am so proud of you! I can’t wait to hear your speech when this whole mess is over.” Shepard answered a call on her omnitool. 

“Shepard, things are getting hot up here. It looks like the remaining Cerberus troops are concentrating their efforts here,” Garrus reported. 

“I have Theresa, Choran, and the rest of the students. We’ll make our way to your position,” she decided. 

“Copy that. Where are we going for dinner tonight, honey?” he sighed. 

“They’re going to be having a banquet, Vakarian,” Shepard said as they made their way to the tower. 

“I completely forgot over all the gunfire,” Garrus teased. 

“Just hold your post, primarch.” 

The squad entered the bottom of the tower. It was eerily empty of any life. 

“You cleaned house down here, dad?” Theresa asked. 

“Not so bad for your old man, now, is it?” he said. 

“You’re not that old. Don’t look a day over twenty-eight,” Choran joked. 

“I’m so touched. Get up here so I can hug you,” Garrus ordered. 

When they entered, Theresa saw Miranda giving Jack medigel for a few gunshot wounds. They ran over to them, unable to hide the franticness in their eyes. 

“Oh my god, what happened?” they said. 

“I got shot, SKV. It happens. I’m fine,” Jack grumbled. “Good to know that you all got here alright. You’re gonna be a heck of a commander day after tomorrow.” 

“God I’m starving,” Theresa complained. 

“Happens when you use biotics for that long. That’s why I tried to build up you guys’ stamina,” Miranda answered. 

“So. You guys got the rest of the mercs?” Jack asked with a smug grin. 

“Yeah. How’s the ceremony going to happen now, though?” Theresa sighed. 

“Oh we’ll still have it. The background on the stage will just be a lot more…interesting,” Miranda asserted. 

“Can’t wait till Admiral Hackett sees this,” Shepard laughed. 

“The old bastard’s still alive? Who would’ve thought,” Jack said. 

~~~~~~~

“I’d like to thank all of my teachers for helping me make it this far already in my career as a soldier. A few of you used to be siblings in arms under my mother’s command, and the stories you’ve told me only give me something more to strive for. 

I never could have imagined that I’d inherit my mother’s leadership skills, though I’d boast even more for her compassion. Even better, I learned to manipulate technology and biotics to the best of my ability, and fighting my way to the top of my class was no easy feat in and of itself. My competition fought hard, but I was determined to make my parents proud no matter what. 

It appears as though I have already done so in the battle that took place today. 

As we head off into our careers as scientists and soldiers and engineers and biotic techs, my only hope is that we shall meet again in our lines of work. You have all, on some level, been a great inspiration for me. Even those who made my life here a bit more difficult than necessary have taught me lessons of value. 

Never give up. Play nice until there’s no other option. Give mercy. 

I’ll end with something one of my fathers told me when I was younger: Santa isn’t real. I know you love messing around with your mother and siblings, but you’re getting way too old for this,” Theresa paused for the laughter. 

“My dads are amazing. Thank you.”


End file.
